Bright Eyes have released a new single in partnership with Planned Parenthood, and will also be performing at the upcoming Village Of Love virtual fundraiser for Planned Parenthood, with the festival occurring on October 25. The new single, “Miracle of Life,” features Phoebe Bridgers on backup vocals and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea on bass.
The track features bright synths and flowing instrumentals as Conor Oberst lends the dark lyrics, which begin with a girl finding she’s pregnant. “Such is the miracle of life/The essence of family os to sacrifice/We could be done with it tonight/The neighborhood doctor says it’s sanitized,” Oberst sings as his voice bends and flows. Bridgers harmonizes with him for the chorus, which says “Lay down on the hard cold ground/Crying’s such a soothing sound/Get cured with a coat hanger/Girl you’re in America now.” Oberst details the girl growing septic after getting an infection from her coat hanger abortion. The song ends with the girl dying, Oberst saying “Expired on a Sunday/She was young and blonde/Went right up to heaven/We’re all children of god.”
“This song should not exist in 2020 America,” Oberst said in a press statement. “It is a protest song, I guess. Or maybe just a little story about what was, what still is in many parts of the world and what could be again here in this country if the GOP is successful in reshaping the Supreme Court and rolling back all of the hard fought progress made for reproductive rights in the last fifty years. Hopefully, if we all work together and vote, it will make this song sound as irrelevant and outdated as it should.”
The Village of Love Planned Parenthood Benefit will take place on October 25, at 9 p.m. EST. Guests for the virtual festival will also include Kathleen Hanna, Angel Olsen, Tenacious D and more. Tickets for the online event will be sold at $15. Past editions of Planned Parenthood benefits have hosted acts such as Courtney Love, Melissa Au Der Maur, Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell and more.
Bright Eyes released their latest album, Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, in early September via Dead Oceans. The track featured the single “Mariana Trench.” Bridgers had covered the band earlier this year, sharing “First Day of My Life” back in June.
Bridgers announced earlier this month that she will be launching her own record label, Saddest Factory, in partnership with Dead Oceans. Recent singles from Bridgers have included “ICU” and “Halloween.” Bridgers also teamed up with Arlo Parks last month to cover Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” for BBC Radio 1.
Last year, Flea appeared on Josh Klinghoffer’s album To Be One With You. Flea also performed with Thom Yorke for performances of “Atoms for Peace” and “Daily Battles.”